Many media devices have been developed to provide different functionalities. A typical home theater system, for example, includes multiple media devices such as a DVD player, a timeshifting device (e.g., digital video recorder (DVR)), and a place-shifting device (e.g., Sling-Box from Sling Media, Inc.). In order to control these various media devices, customers typically juggle or switch between multiple remote controls, which can be inconvenient and confusing.
One approach to solve this problem is to use a universal remote control, which is typically a remote control that has been preprogrammed to operate a variety of devices in parallel. When a user wants to control a device, the user may press a mode button on the universal remote control to switch the remote to the intended device, and then use the universal remote control to control the device. When the user wants to control a different device, he or she generally needs to switch the universal remote control to that other device the universal remote controlling the other device.
This approach is insufficient for many applications because it does not typically allow for seamless operation. Users must generally first figure out which device to control before using the universal remote control, which can be confusing when multiple devices are involved.
In addition, this approach does not typically function when the multiple devices are controlled through one another. For example, assume a local device (e.g., a set-top box) connects to and controls a remote device (e.g., a place-shifting device). Users of the universal remote control cannot generally control both devices easily, because the remote device is controlled through the local one. The universal remote control is generally designed to control multiple devices in parallel, by operating with each of them individually and directly; as a result, the universal remote does not typically work optimally in setting where the remote is asked to control one device through another.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a way to enable users to control multiple devices seamlessly, including remote, down-stream devices. There is also a need for an efficient and intuitive user interface.